Slow-Growth Majority Opens Fire on Foes

It was a maiden voyage awash in political blood Wednesday as the Oceanside City Council’s new slow-growth majority fired most of the city’s Planning Commission and stripped the mayor of an important post.

Just one hour into the majority’s first council meeting, Councilman Sam Williamson, who is now in the minority with Mayor Larry Bagley, said, “To see what’s happening here this morning really disgusts me.”

First, the majority muscled through a motion to unseat four of the city’s seven appointed planning commissioners.

“We need some fresh ideas and some new people involved in this city,” Councilwoman Melba Bishop said.

Bishop was the council’s longtime rebellious outsider until voters last month elected Nancy York and Don Rodee, creating a majority eager to smash what they regard as the developers’ hold on Oceanside.

One of the ousted commissioners, Nancy Jakovac, wasn’t going without a parting shot, and told the council, “I will not sit still and let somebody for political gain tear this Planning Commission apart.”

She blamed the council for passing exemptions to Proposition A, the city’s growth control law, that made it hard for commissioners to practice balanced growth policies.

The council majority said Jakovac, Nancy Boyer, Jack Cassan and Brian Sullivan may continue serving until new commissioners are appointed early next year.

Rodee said voters support slow growth, and the commission needs members “with that philosophy.” But the raid on the commission infuriated Bagley and Williamson.

The mayor termed it “a blatant exercise of power” without regard to the fallen commissioners’ tenure, experience or voting records.

He flatly accused Bishop, York and Rodee of meeting privately to orchestrate their political actions, calling it a “clear violation” of the Brown Act, the state’s open-meeting law.

Bishop called the mayor’s accusation “ridiculous.”